Bedrooms For Boys

I have a new baby nephew coming any day now, and he’ll eventually share a bedroom with his almost-2-year-old brother — which has me thinking about boys’ bedrooms.

I’ve always been more partial to warm colours, and I have two girls myself, so my comfort zone is rooms full of pinks, reds and oranges. (Though we painted my girls’ room in Farrow & Ball’s Skylight (205), which is a really livable pale blue that sets off the bright colours.)

It turns out there are piles of great boys’ bedrooms out there — even ones that woo a romantic like me, who thinks whimsy and fun are essentials in any child’s room!

My favourites have rustic leanings; they feel almost like you’d find them in a log house in the woods or a summer camp cabin.

Maps always inject loads of colour and pattern, inspire wonder and wanderlust and are fun and educational. In Desmond’s Ottawa bedroom, his mom Giulia Doyle set off the blues, yellows and greens with hits of bright red in the wall-mounted lamp, sock monkey stuffie and army-style blanket.

This room takes the travel theme a step further, with the addition of vintage suitcases, a steamship trunk, a stuffed giraffe and kangaroo and scientific illustrations of exotic birds. An old iron bed, understated bed linens and grey-on-grey Union Jack pillow balance the look.

I’m sold … bright green is great for a kid’s room! It’s fresh and strong, but not at all overbearing. And set off by buffalo-check bed linens, it looks mod and playful. A patterned rug, strapping-topped stool and toy car add depth and character. I’m not the biggest fan of taxidermy, but it works here — and, of course, it’s not real.

The worn wooden beds in this room remind me of old-fashioned sleighs. Along with the painted-wood floors, checked and striped bedding and bright red toadstool, they give the room a fairy-tale quality. And there’s lots of space on the floor to flop down and play cars or colour.

I’m not certain many boys play cowboys anymore, but they did when I was a child. I’m pretty sure my nephew, Rafa, would find it fun to have thundering horses on his walls! A horse-patterned bedspread and saddle-blanket-covered headboard cushions continue the theme, while the canary yellow of the bed frame and side table clash a little bit with the rest of the room, keeping it from feeling too perfect.

Animals are a universally loved theme for children’s rooms. While the wolf cub on this bedding is charming, the look is graphic, crisp and clean. First-aid-style accents bring in layers of details. (This bedding was from an H&M home collection. I can’t find it available anywhere now, but H&M’s wild cat bedding has a similar look, as does ByNord’s wolf bedding.)